WASA gets $50,000 Hartford grant for adaptive sports gear

By AI, Created 2:55 PM UTC, May 21, 2026, /AGP/ – Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association received a $50,000 grant from The Hartford to expand adaptive sports equipment in Milwaukee, including chairs, balls, hoops and nets. The Hartford also surprised a 14-year-old athlete with a custom-fit wheelchair basketball chair, underscoring how specialized gear can affect access and performance.

Why it matters: - Adaptive sports often depend on specialized equipment that is expensive and hard to access. - The grant expands WASA’s ability to serve athletes in Milwaukee and beyond through training, competition and outreach. - A custom-fit sports chair can directly affect speed, comfort and performance for a young wheelchair basketball player.

What happened: - Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit in the Move United member network, received a $50,000 grant from The Hartford. - The grant paid for new adaptive sports equipment for WASA athletes and programs. - The Hartford surprised 14-year-old wheelchair basketball athlete Lucy Rate with a custom-fit Top End Sports Chair. - Lucy Rate will use the fitted chair on WASA’s Varsity Wheelchair Basketball Team, which travels the country to compete.

The details: - WASA used the grant to buy 15 sports chairs for wheelchair basketball and community outreach events. - The purchase list also included 20 basketballs, 8 sled hockey buckets, 2 prep basketball hoops, 2 shot clocks, volleyballs, tennis balls, pickleballs, a sitting volleyball net and a portable pickleball net. - Lucy Rate said, “I am so much faster, and this chair actually fits me! I’m so thankful for everyone who made this possible!” - Emily Oberst, WASA’s Community Outreach Director, said fitted equipment is crucial for success in adaptive sports, but it often comes at a high cost. - Oberst said support from Move United and The Hartford makes a difference for the organization’s athletes.

Between the lines: - The grant addresses two barriers at once: equipment availability and equipment fit. - For adaptive sports programs, funding for chairs and other sport-specific gear can expand participation while improving competitive outcomes. - The surprise chair presentation also serves as a visible example of how corporate grants can translate into direct athlete support.

What’s next: - WASA can use the new equipment for practices, outreach events and competitive play. - Lucy Rate’s custom chair is expected to support her play on a national travel team. - The Hartford’s grant may help WASA reach more athletes who need specialized equipment to participate.

The bottom line: - The $50,000 grant gives WASA more gear, more flexibility and more capacity to support adaptive athletes with the equipment they need to compete.